Extreme Theology

Kieschnick's Contradictory Statements

Jerry Kieschnick, President of the LCMS is once again speaking out of both sides of his mouth. The latest example of this comes to us via Kieschnick's senior assistant, Rev. Jon Braunersreuther who wrote an email that found its way onto the internet. The email alleges several very ridiculous things.

1. That Jerry Kieschnick was not aware of any threat of any lawsuit against Rev. Todd Wilken or Jeff Schwarz.

2. That even though Jerry Kieschnick has a role on the LCMS Board of Directors, he still had no clue that the other members of the BOD initiated legal action and threatened Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz. Click here to see the full text of the letter that was sent to Todd Wilken on December 18th, 2008. This letter clearly threatens legal action against Wilken and Schowarz.

Here is what Rev. Braunersreuther's email said in defense of President Kieschnick:

President Kieschnick has neither initiated a lawsuit against anyone connected with the radio show “Issues, Etc.,” nor has he threatened or encouraged a lawsuit or any other type of legal action. Any allegations to the contrary are simply untrue. The President of the Synod has neither the authority nor the desire to initiate legal action on behalf of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. That authority is vested solely with the Board of Directors of the Synod.

In his role as a member of the Synod’s Board of Directors, President Kieschnick is not aware of any lawsuit or threat of any lawsuit against Rev. Todd Wilken or Jeff Schwarz. By means of a copy of this email, Mr. Ron Schultz, Chief Administrative Officer of the Synod, is being requested to further respond on behalf of the Board of Directors.

President Kieschnick desires a speedy and God-pleasing resolution to matters connected with the proposed transfer of the trademark in accordance with the Board’s previous action and prays that those involved are working together to conclude the matter.

It is an undeniable fact that the LCMS threatened legal action against Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz.

The email written by Kieschnick's senior assistant, states that the LCMS Board of Directors has the sole vested authority to initiate a legal action

But, this email also admits that Jerry Kieschnick has a "role as a member of the Board of Directors".

So how is it possible for Jerry Kieschnick to have had no knowledge of the Board of Directors decision to interface with the synod's law firm and threaten legal action against Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz?

Was there a renegade conspiracy on the part of the OTHER members of the BOD to initiate legal actions and keep FELLOW MEMBER of the BOD Jerry Kieschnick in the dark as to their actions?

In order to believe that Kieschnick had NO KNOWLEDGE of these actions requires us to believe that either Kieschnick is lying through his teeth or believe that he is the most miserably untalented leader / president to ever hold office in the LCMS.

An Open Letter to the LCMS Board of Directors

Dear Board of Directors for the LCMS,

I am supremely disappointed to read and hear that the LCMS, under direct orders from President Kieshnick, is wasting precious monetary resources in order to pursue a legal resolution to a trademark dispute over a trademark that it abandoned in 1999 for a radio program that it canceled in March of 2008.

If my memory serves me correctly, President Kieschnick just a few short years ago rightly invoked 1 Corinthians 6:1-8 against those who brought suit against the LCMS. He has now become a hypocrite by threatening legal action against two men whose passion is proclaiming Christ Crucified for our sins and inviting the best LCMS theologians in the world to come on to their radio program and promote and defend Lutheran doctrine.

This threatened lawsuit is not only a breach of what scripture commands, it is a supreme waste of LCMS funds and complete insanity!

This threatened legal action that hinges on Todd and Jeff surrendering their 1st Amendment rights to freedom of speech doesn't make a bit of sense and makes LCMS, Inc. look like a political big brother that exists to harass and silence it's political enemies. Let me remind you that the congregations and ministries in our synod do not exist to serve the LCMS Corporate Headquarters. Instead, LCMS Corporate Headquarters exists to serve the congregations and ministries in our synod. This threatened legal battle over the Issues, Etc. trademark does not serve the congregations or ministries in the LCMS rather it robs them of monetary resources through wasteful and politically motivated misspending. Furthermore, these actions do not serve to unite the LCMS but instead are only further dividing the LCMS.

Lets face facts, Issues, Etc. is no longer a concern of LCMS, Inc. because the LCMS cancelled the radio program and fired Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz. To put it more bluntly, what Pastor Todd Wilken says and does on his radio program is none of your business and not within your jurisdiction. If President Kieschnick wanted a say in what Wilken and Schwarz said on their program then he should not have cancelled Issues, Etc..

I am calling on you to speak up and act swiftly to put an end to this threatened legal action and reign in President Kieschnick. The battle in the LCMS over Issues, Etc. has been stretched out far too long. It is time for LCMS, Inc. to let it go and stop harassing Pastor Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz so that these men can focus on the task at hand of producing top quality Christ-Centered and Cross Focused talk radio.

Regretfully Yours,

Chris Rosebrough
Member in good standing of Faith Lutheran Church, Capistrano Beach, California

Sent to:

Rev. Victor Belton: [email protected]
Mr. Walter Brantz: [email protected]
Mr. Kermit A. Brashear: [email protected]
Dr. William Diekelman: [email protected]
Dr. Betty Duda: [email protected]
Dr. Gloria Edwards: [email protected]
Rev. Raymond Hartwig: [email protected]
Mr. Tom Kuchta: [email protected]
Dr. Robert Kuhn: [email protected]
Chaplain Donald Muchow: [email protected]
Mr. David Piehler: [email protected]
Mr. Curtis Pohl: [email protected]
Mr. Roy Schmidt: [email protected]
Rev. Jeff Schrank: [email protected]
Dr. Kurt Senske: [email protected]
Mr. Walter Tesch: [email protected]
Mr. Ron Schultz, Chief Administrative Officer: [email protected]

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I've also sent a modified version of this letter to President Kieschnick. The front door for his email address can be found at http://www.lcms.org/cntc/contactus.asp?unitabrv=7

Kieschnick's Real Motives

Why would LCMS President, Jerry Kieshnick spend tens of thousands of LCMS tithe dollars trying to dispute a trademark that the LCMS abandoned in October of 1999 for a radio program that the LCMS cancelled in March of 2008?

Legal documents that have been uncovered by the Brothers of John the Steadfast tell the whole story.

One document in particular, which you can download by clicking here, reveals that the LCMS will remove their threatened legal action against Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz IF they agree to a gag clause that would eliminate their right to freedom of speech as it pertains to critical comments or negative opinions as it pertains to the LCMS. Kieschnick's motive is to legally force Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz into SILENCE.

Here is what the pertinent clause in this document states:

So here are my follow up questions... What is President Jerry Kieschnick up to? Why is it soooooo important to Jerry Kieschnick that Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz be silenced by a legal gag order?

It makes you wonder if Kieshnick is afraid that Todd Wilken's thoughtful critiques would cause his latest political maneuverings and shenanigans to become Ablaze™ and go up in smoke.

Pirate Christian Radio is Sailing Circles Around KFUO AM

Maybe the reason why Jerry Kieschnick is threatening to sue Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz is because Pirate Christian Radio's broadside against KFUO AM has left the LCMS's radio station dead in the water and Ablaze™.

According to Quantcast, Pirate Christian Radio's internet traffic in the U.S. is substantially higher than KFUO AM's. In fact, since PCR's launch on June 30, 2008 KFUO AM has never had a day where their web traffic has exceeded that of Pirate Christian Radio's. The graphic below from Quantcast tells the story.

Furthermore: Pirate Christian Radio broadcasts on the Live 365 radio network. PCR competes with 288 other talk radio stations in the Live 365 network. Live 365 ranks all of its stations on a daily basis and just two weeks after Pirate Christian Radio launched it broke into the top ten and has never left. Click Here to See Today's Live 365 Radio Network Rankings.

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Kieschnick Threatening Lawsuit Agaist Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz

Sorry for the inside the LCMS baseball post. However, this information needs to get out.

Last march the LCMS cancelled the Issues, Etc. radio program. It created a huge brouhaha and ultimately the Issues, Etc. radio program was resurrected and their audience is larger and stronger than ever.

Apparently, this isn't sitting well with LCMS President Gerry Kieschnick who is now threatening a lawsuit against Todd Wilken and Jeff Schwarz over the Issues, Etc. trademark (a trademark that the LCMS abandoned in 1999 and a trademark that the LCMS has no intention of ever utilizing again)

What is the real reason why Kieschnick wants to sue Todd and Jeff? He wants to silence them.